Women Sarpanchs
(Women Of Substance)

English/29mins 43secs/2002
Producer: Miditech Pvt. Ltd. (Niret & Nikhil J. Alva)
Commissioned by: Public Service Broadcasting Trust

Subject Focus: The film follows the lives of three women Sarpanchs in different parts of the country and how they overcome great odds to make their villages a better place.

Summary: The panchayat has traditionally been an overwhelming male bastion. In 1992, the 73rd Amendment Act, ensured that 33% of the seats were reserved for women at the local government level. Geeta Rathod, Suvidha Yadav and Archana Rai are the new breed of village leaders, changing the face of rural politics, initiating development at the grass root levels. The film follows the lives of the women sarpanchs in different parts of the country and how they overcome great odds to make their villages a better place.

Producer’s/Director’s Profile: Niret Alva - has enjoyed a long and distinguished career in reporting, presenting, anchoring and directing for television. He is a Series Director and anchor for the Panda Award winning environment show Living on the Edge, The Great Escape for the Star network and the Asian Television Award winning automotive show Wheels. In 2002, he won the award for Best Current Affairs for Infotainment Presenter at the Asian Television Awards, Singapore.

Nikhil Alva, with his brother Niret Alva, in 1992 set up Miditech, a production house that specializes in environment and travel programming. His film Living on the Edge, India’s first comprehensive environment series won three awards: The Pinnacle, a national award; as the Best Information Series which is an international award - the Green Oscar, the Panda Award atWildscreen, in 1996 and the Silver Tree Award for Best Environment series in Vatavaran 2002. He directed and scripted The Lions of Gir which won a Special Jury Award at Vatavaran 2002 film festival.